


Ice Cream & Infiltration

by lazy_storm_clouds



Category: American Housewife (TV)
Genre: Anna-Kat just wants to blackmail them, Canon Compliant, Cooper just want some ice cream, Franklin doesn’t know what’s going on, Gen, Humor, Oliver just wants sleep, One Shot, based off a tumblr post, did we ever learn Franklin’s last name?, others are briefly mentioned - Freeform, takes place a little after 5x03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:47:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27640931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazy_storm_clouds/pseuds/lazy_storm_clouds
Summary: Cooper really wants ice cream late at night. Anna-Kat hears Oliver and Cooper and decides to follow. Franklin is dragged along for the ride.
Relationships: Anna-Kat Otto/Franklin, Cooper Bradford & Oliver Otto
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31





	Ice Cream & Infiltration

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this](https://fumu.tumblr.com/post/183621078580/sifhappens-sifhappens-i-heard-my-brother-say)Tumblr post! 
> 
> Enjoy!

“Pssst... Oliver.”

Oliver rolled over with a groan. Blindly he grabbed his pillow and shoved it over his head.

“Pssst... Oliver!”

Oliver tossed his pillow down and sat up with a huff of annoyance. That had been the fifth time and he just wanted to be able to sleep.

“What, Cooper? I’m sleeping.”

“Wanna go get ice cream?”

Cooper’s eyes were bright with mischief. Sadly for Cooper, Oliver was not in the mood. Oliver glared half-heartedly at him.

“Are you serious?” Cooper nodded, already grinning.

“You woke me up at—“ Oliver glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. “—1:30 in the morning for ice cream?”

Cooper’s grin dropped as he gave Oliver a wounded look.

Oliver sighed.

“Where would we even get ice cream? Everything’s closed.”

Cooper smirked.

“Not in Westport. I can pull up a map to at least three ice cream places that are open all night.”

“Just because you know of three places doesn’t mean we’re going to any.”

A stare down began and despite Oliver’s tiredness, he was going to win this. He was going to win and he was going to get to sleep. Cooper was not going to talk him into something crazy again.

* * *

“How the hell did I let you talk me into this?”

Oliver took in his situation in disbelief. He had been so sure he was about to win. Then he found himself following Cooper out the door!

“My dazzling smile did the talking for me.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that was it.”

Cooper tossed him one of those self-proclaimed dazzling smiles. Oliver forced himself to look toward the car window instead.

“Hey, I can turn on the seat warmers and put on your soft music playlist. You can sleep the entire way there.”

Oliver reluctantly turned back to Cooper. Cooper tilted his head in anticipation of Oliver’s answer. Oliver sighed, rubbed his eyes, and finally, nodded.

“Fine, but give me your sweater.” Oliver held a hand expectantly. 

“Why?” 

“It’s going to be my pillow.” 

“Oliver, this is Neiman Marcus!”

“Yeah, well, for tonight it’s my pillow. We’ll get it cleaned later.”

Cooper looked scandalized. 

“Why not your jacket? You’ve already got it and it’s  _ much  _ cheaper than this.”

“Because I’m not the one who dragged us out at a ridiculous hour,” Oliver replied hotly. He tugged on his jacket. “Also it’s my blanket.” 

“Oh, okay.” 

Cooper nodded understandingly and took off his sweater before passing it to Oliver. A pained look crossed his face when Oliver crumpled it up to put it behind his head. Cooper pressed a few buttons on the dash and his phone and soon soft music floated from the speakers. Oliver closed his eyes and tried to pretend he was still in his bed. The cologne from Cooper’s sweater, the slowly warming seats, and the soft music was enough to help him relax. By the time Cooper had reached the end of the street, Oliver was deeply asleep. 

* * *

Anna-Kat woke from a particularly loud creak out of the hallway floor outside her door. She knew exactly which floorboard it was and how to avoid it so as to not bother the others. Apparently, some people didn’t have the same consideration. Franklin was still asleep with his legs tied up. So, it wasn’t him. 

The floor creaked a second time, so she tip-toed to her door. No need for anyone to know she was up and listening. Anna-Kat pressed her ear to the crack at the bottom of the door. She’d hear more from a small open space than she would a thick door. 

“Do we even have any money for ice cream?” 

Why was Oliver talking about money? Why was Oliver  _ awake? _ Who was he talking to? 

“Please,  _ amigo _ , I always have money.” 

Of course, it was Cooper! They were sneaking out for ice cream! She wasn’t missing this. She just had to find a way to get them to bring her. 

“Right, forgot who I was talking to for a second.” 

She heard their footsteps trail off and quietly made her way to Franklin. He was still deeply asleep. Well, that wouldn’t do. 

“Franklin,” she started untying his legs. “Franklin, wake up! Oliver and Cooper are sneaking out to get ice cream!” 

“What? Wait, ice cream?”

Franklin sat up slowly and ran a hand through his hair.

“Yes,” she whispered while throwing on a jacket and tossing him his. 

Franklin wasn’t awake well enough yet but he tried to do the same, albeit slower and clumsier. They put on their shoes and just as Franklin’s hand had settled on the doorknob, they heard the boys’ voices again. Clearly, they weren’t that worried about getting caught. 

“What happened to ‘I always have money?’”

Oliver’s voice was both annoyed and smug. Anna-Kat envied that ability. Her mother and Oliver could both do it. One day she’d be able to do it as well. She wanted people to hear her smirking from a room over as she could with Oliver. It was just enough to express impatience and radiate triumph over another’s failures. She needed to start taking notes. 

“Well, it just so happens that this time I forgot my wallet. I’m not used to leaving home in pajamas.” 

“Whatever. And grab a sweater, it’s chilly.”

They waited for them to leave before opening the door. She wouldn’t miss out on this fortuitous opportunity. This way they wouldn’t have to hide in the trunk. She hurried out and gestured for Franklin to follow her. They had just enough of a head start on the boys that they would be able to reach the car before them. 

Anna-Kat and Franklin crept down the stairs and avoided all of the spots she knew made noise. They quickly crossed from the bottom of the stairs to the door. Anna-Kat knew Cooper’s car was unlocked—Westport mistake—and climbed into the back. Anna-Kat sat on the floor behind the passenger seat while Franklin sat behind the driver’s seat. For a really nice car, the floors weren’t as comfortable as she expected. But, it was better than hiding in a suitcase for several hours, so she counted it as a win. 

With the dark interior of the car and how well Anna-Kat and Franklin were tucked behind the seats, Oliver and Cooper would never see them. They wouldn’t have any reason to look in the back and the darkness of the night would assist in hiding them. It was perfect. 

“Why are we here again?” 

Anna-Kat turned her attention to Franklin. She’d been looking out the window waiting for Oliver and Cooper. 

“To blackmail my brother into getting us ice cream. He gets us ice cream and we don’t tell Mom that they snuck out.” 

“Makes sense,” Franklin nodded. 

Anna-Kat turned to the windows again and saw them headed their way. She whipped towards Franklin. 

“Okay, be quiet. They’re coming and they  _ can’t  _ know we’re here.” 

Franklin nodded again and they crouched down further. They were practically folded in over themselves but they were hidden. The doors opened and the boys got in. Anna-Kat waited for the car to start moving. Ice cream was really starting to sound good. The car wasn’t moving. Cooper and Oliver were too busy flirting to go anywhere. She was getting hungry, dammit! 

She rolled her eyes at how domestic they were being and could barely see Franklin smothering a giggle. This could go on forever. She almost regretted sneaking out. It would’ve been quicker to go to Viv’s and ask for it. But Viv would have probably mentioned it to her parents and not known that she got Anna-Kat in trouble. Okay, maybe hearing them being domestic wasn’t that bad. 

Finally, the car started moving! It seemed to take longer to get anywhere when on the floor of a car. Anna-Kat’s legs were starting to hurt and it was becoming more uncomfortable by the second. Franklin seemingly shared the sentiment from how much he was shifting. Not long later, the car stopped. And so did the music. They had to be extra still and quiet. 

“Oliver,” Cooper said. “Wake up, dude. We’re here.” 

Anna-Kat almost wished she could see into the front seat. Cooper was soft with her brother in a way no one else was. Sure, they could be annoying, but it almost made all their bickering worth it for one moment of softness. Almost. Ice cream and an actual seat would help more. 

“Don’t wanna wake up,” Oliver whined. 

“Come on, it’s ice cream. You’ll wake up for ice cream, right? I can get your favorite.”

She heard a yawn and Oliver must’ve nodded. The pressure on her from the seat changed as he sat up. She was relieved. It was torture having to sit so still and not accidentally elbow the seat. 

“I can’t believe you found a place.” 

“It’s Westport. Of course I found a place.” 

“Right,” Oliver laughed. 

“So, what are you thinking? Do you want your favorite?” 

This was it. This was her moment. She turned carefully in her spot so she was facing the back of Oliver’s seat. It was now or never. She jumped up behind his seat.

“I was thinking a banana split,” she piped up. 

The resounding screams were  _ so  _ worth the grounding they’d all probably get later. Cooper and Oliver’s high scream mingled into a thing of beauty. She’d hear it for years to come and feel victorious. 

“What the hell, Anna-Kat? What’re you doing here,” Oliver yelled when he’d calmed down. 

Franklin decided this was his moment. 

“I was thinking an ice cream sandwich, actually. It’s my second favorite sandwich.” 

Oliver and Cooper shot the pair of them disbelieving looks. She sat back in the seat with Franklin copying her. It was such a relief to not be sitting on her feet anymore. The seats were soft and warm. 

“What’re you doing here,” Oliver demanded. 

“The creaking of the floor woke me up, I heard your conversation, so I woke up Franklin and we snuck out when you went back to get money. Which I’m sure is enough to get us all something we want. Maybe even something for later.”

Oliver rolled his eyes. 

“Which means that unless we get you two whatever you want, you’ll tell Mom that we snuck out.”

“Oh, she already knows.” 

“What?” Anna-Kat, Oliver, and Cooper all turned to Franklin with fear-filled eyes. 

“Yeah, she texted me,” he held up his phone, displaying his text messages. “She said to get her a triple fudge brownie sundae. Mr. Otto wants coffee ice cream with hot fudge. Also, we’re all grounded.” 

Groans filled the car as their situation sunk in. They wouldn’t be sneaking out again anytime soon. 

“I was thinking a classic vanilla sandwich would be nice.” 

Oliver sent Anna-Kat a glare. 

“Your boyfriend has the worst timing.” 

“Actually,  _ your  _ boyfriend has the worst timing. He decided to get ice cream at  _ 2 in the morning, _ ” she shot back.

“Again, not my boyfriend.”

“And this not-boyfriend is buying the ice cream.” 

She heard the unsaid words. She wanted ice cream and wasn’t going to jepordize that. 

“Maybe his timing’s not that bad.”

* * *

“Wait,” Oliver said as they were pulling out of the parking lot with enough ice cream for then and for breakfast. “What I don’t understand is how Mom knew we were out.” 

“Maybe because you’re terrible at sneaking out,” Anna-Kat suggested.

“ _ No. _ ”

“What about that tracking thing on our phones,” Cooper asked. 

“No, she stopped looking at that ages ago.” 

“Maybe that weird car that’s following us told her.” 

Everyone whipped around to look at the car Franklin was talking about. It was black and sleek and getting very close to them. Then it started honking. A lot. She could practically hear her heartbeat with how hard it was beating. She was sure it was the same for the others.

A sense of relief was had when it moved to pass them. Until it stayed right beside them. No one else was on the road so it wasn’t that dangerous, just scary. They watched with trepidation—Cooper having to look back between the car and the road—as the window rolled down. 

“Doris?  _ You  _ ratted us out?” 

Doris was smiling broadly and laughing. She had an ice cream cone in one hand and was holding the steering wheel with the other. 

“Haha, suck it, Oliver!”

She cackled for a moment before speaking in a calmer tone. 

“Also, you need to drive me to my chiropractor on Tuesday,” she pointed at him with her ice cream. “I can’t drive myself home from that.” 

And with that, she was gone. 

Oliver sunk back into his seat as she disappeared from view. 

“What was that about, Oliver?” Franklin asked with a furrow in his brow. 

Oliver sighed. “I’m her unofficial therapist/driver. We have a complicated relationship.”

* * *

Taylor stumbled down the stairs. She didn’t sleep well  _ at all _ . She kept waking up from different noises. Noises that wouldn’t have been made all night long, like doors opening and closing and people talking. And she could’ve sworn she heard some sort of creaking too.

“Coffee, coffee, coffee,” she chanted as she reached the kitchen. 

She stopped short at seeing everyone in the kitchen already. And they were eating  _ ice cream!  _ She felt more awake already. 

“Where’d you guys get ice cream?”

“Ask Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum over there. Alice oughta know too and the… the--Okay, that one got away from me, I didn’t see the whole movie!” Her mom was already on a roll this morning. 

“The Tim Burton one or the Disney cartoon,” her dad interjected. 

“What does it matter, Greg?” 

Seeing her mom’s steely glare, he backed down. 

“It… It doesn’t,” he said and went back to his ice cream. 

“Point is, they all snuck out last night and got ice cream. As I’m sure you can guess, they’re all grounded. 

“Aw, no one got me any?” 

She looked astonished at her siblings and their boyfriends or friends or whatever they wanted to be called. 

“Riiight,” Oliver drawled. “I knew there was someone we were forgetting.” 

She leveled him with her best glare. 

“You suck.” 

He smirked in reply and took a bite of ice cream. 

Taylor turned to her dad, irritation racking her whole frame. 

“Dad, can we—” 

“Nope, sorry, honey. Too much ice cream will give me indigestion. Come on, get dressed, and eat something. We gotta go. I have a meeting in an hour.” 

Taylor growled in frustration and stomped back up the stairs. They all got ice cream for breakfast and she would have to eat _ normal  _ food. Being the only kid not in trouble  _ sucked._

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudos and comment! 
> 
> How did I do on the rest of the family's voices? 
> 
> Let me know what you liked below!


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